Local Economic Benefits of Worldwide Trade

Local Economic Benefits of Worldwide Trade

August 2013, Port of Portland, ECONorthwest

The Port of Portland (Port) asked ECONorthwest staff to review recent economic studies on the economic impacts of the Portland Harbor (Harbor) and the Port, trends in international trade, and Portland’s position in the U.S. import/export market. This report illustrates the local benefits and beneficiaries of the Harbor and the Port’s economic activities.

Global demand drives the growth of many U.S. businesses. Well-functioning ports provide the transportation infrastructure that businesses rely on to acquire raw materials or ship finished products to markets around the world. The Harbor, which extends upstream on the Willamette River to the Steel Bridge, and upstream on the Columbia River to Hayden Island, provides this infrastructure and acts as a gateway, connecting producers and consumers to the rest of the world. The Harbor is a mix of private terminals, manufacturing areas, and public terminals owned by the Port and leased to private entities.